Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/2320



Day 2 of CEDIA continued without a hitch, and while the show isn't nearly as stressful as CES, there's still a lot to cover for a relatively small venue (think bigger than IDF, but much smaller than CES).


He just wants to come in and play

Today we went through and covered most of the receiver companies (you'll see coverage on that tomorrow), went through and looked at the new high definition player announcements, some new TV introductions and finished off our 1080p projector coverage.

Mitsubishi UltraThin Frame LCD TVs

Toshiba's not the only company touting thin bezel televisions at this year's CEDIA. Mitsubishi was showing off their UltraThin Frame LCD TVs at their booth.


Mitsubishi LT-46144 46" 1080P UltraThin Frame TV



Runco Televisions

This year we decided to indulge ourselves by attending the Runco press conference. Runco is known for its ultra high-end (well, ultra high priced) home theater equipment. In the press conference, Runco detailed its recent acquisition by Planar Systems - another specialty display company known for their ruggedized LCDs and consumer LCD monitors. Although Runco did humor us with $5,000 720P projectors, there were a few interesting announcements.

If you think back to our CES 2006 coverage, you'll no doubt recall the flurry of 100"+ Plasma televisions being announced. Well we're pleased to announce that Runco is bringing the 103" plasma to the masses! For the low price of $99,995, you can own this 500lbs beast. You will also need a dedicated 240V circuit in order to power it.


103" of Plasma

We'd also like to note that Pioneer announced its 103" plasma back in 2006 for an MSRP of $69,995. Lets hope Runco can justify their $30K premium.

Runco's Waterproof LCD TV

Runco showed off one of the first products to come of the Planar acquisition; the WP-42HD. This 42" 1080P LCD set is unique in that it is actually waterproof to a certain degree. It can withstand outdoor weather elements including large temperature variations as well as rain. It is not certified, however, to be completely submerged in water. The set will be available in October for an MSRP of $8995.


Oh no, don't supersoak the TV


Wet buns

Prototype Direct Sunlight LCD TV

The final television that Runco showed off was its prototype LCD television which can be viewed in direct sunlight. This is another result of the Planar acquisition and looks promising:

The TV didn't wash out when a bright spotlight was shined directly at it. No pricing or availability information is available yet but expect this set to be quite pricey.



Integra's High End HD-DVD Player

Integra announced its first HD DVD player; the DHS-8.8. This $1,100 player supports HDMI 1.3, 24 frames per second output, and decoding of HD audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.

Pioneer's Blu-ray Player

Pioneer showed off its latest generation Blu-ray player; the BDP-95FD. This is the successor to last year's BDP-90FD model and retails for $1,000. New features include full support for HDMI 1.3a, HD audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, and 24 frames per second video output.

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Load times for high definition DVD players are a concern for many buyers. With first generation players taking over a minute from disk insertion to actual playback, consumers were undoubtedly annoyed. The Pioneer rep kindly let us test the load time for this unit using a Blu-Ray demo disk and we measured it at 36 seconds. This is a far cry from the near instant-on nature of current DVD players, but still much better than ~2 minute times from a year ago. It's also important to note that load times can vary greatly from disk to disk depending on the amount of BDJ used.

Samsung's Dual-Format HD-DVD/BD Combo Player

Samsung was also showing off its latest next-gen high definition DVD players at the show this year. First up is the $599 BDP-2400. This player features support for the Dolyby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio standards as well as 24 frames per second output. The Samsung rep stated that the load times for this player should be around 30 seconds depending on the content. Expect availability around October.

Next up is the combination Blu-ray/HD DVD player called BDUP-5000. Samsung claims this is the first "true" Blu-ray and HD DVD player as it supports full interactive content for both formats. LG took the crown for having the first dual-format player earlier this year, however they did not fully support interactive content for both formats. Although LG seems to have corrected this issue with the BH200, Samsung is claiming to have beaten it to the punch. Expect the BDUP-5000 on sale for $999 this October.



Meridian Teams up with Ferrari to Bring Aural Perfection

Meridian Audio showed off its new F80 transportable sound system at the press conference today. This system, developed in conjunction with Ferrari, offers surprisingly clear and large sound out of a compact 2.1 speaker single-unit setup. The F80 easily filled the entire press room (about 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 15 feet high) with phenomenal sound (and real bass). It features a CD/DVD player, AM/FM radio, analog and digital audio inputs, iPod input (iPod docking cable sold separately), and S-Video and composite outputs. It's also available in 5 official Ferrari colors. We were honestly ready to buy one until the price was announced: $2,999. At 14.3lbs it's also deceptively heavy.



The 1080p CEDIA Projector Roundup

There were 1080p projectors everywhere at the show and we, of course, had a look at all of them. How did they stack up against one another in our informal eyeball comparisons? That's what we're here to convey, as best as possible.

While we'll have to wait for actual reviews, tests and user experiences to truly evaluate these projectors, we can provide a little seat of the pants feel for those who couldn't make it out to CEDIA this year.

2.35:1 Everywhere

You've probably seen us mention 2.35:1 support in our projector coverage multiple times this week already, and it's not just that we're obsessed with it - the manufacturers at CEDIA seem to be too.

Many modern day movies aren't filmed in a 16:9 (or 1.78:1) aspect ratio, in fact they are filmed a little wider (2.35:1, 2.37:1 or 2.40:1 are common). They still play just fine on your 16:9 TV, but you get those little black bars across the top and bottom of the screen.

When building a home theater, many users want to feel like they're sitting in a theater and not simply staring at a very large TV, thus they opt for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen instead of 16:9. While the effect is cool, finding a 2.35:1 projector is virtually impossible, so we have to use some clever trickery to fill the screen.

You start with a 2.35:1(ish) image projected through a 16:9 projector, but you tell the projector to stretch the image vertically to get rid of the black bars. Now you've got no bars on the top/bottom, but you've got a vertically stretched image - you need something to stretch the image horizontally. You do this last part by putting an anamorphic 2.35:1 lens in front of your projector that stretches the image horizontally, thus giving you a perfect 2.35:1 image from your 16:9 projector.


Epson 16:9 projector with 2.35:1 lens in the way

The problem is that not all material is 2.35:1, so you need the ability to move the lens in/out of the path of your projector - generally in an automated fashion. So to complete the setup you need a projector capable of doing the vertical stretch, a 2.35:1 lens, and a slide or other mechanism for getting it out of the way when viewing native 16:9 (or 4:3) material.

You've heard many projector manufacturers talk about 2.35:1 scaling support with their projectors, that's the vertical stretch option we mentioned above. Without the integrated scaling you'd have to use an external video processor, which is what JVC DLA-RS1 owners have to do for example.

What really stood out at the show was that virtually all projector manufacturers either talked about support for 2.35:1 or actually demonstrated their projectors with a 2.35:1 setup. Epson, Sony, JVC, Runco, and Sim2 all had live 2.35:1 demos at their booths/meeting rooms, but none of the companies make their own 2.35:1 lenses so they all relied on 3rd party makers.

By far the most common lens at CEDIA was the Panamorph UH380, a prism based lens system made by, you guessed it, Panamorph. Some companies offered rebranded UH380s with their projectors, while others didn't even attempt to disguise the Panamorph name. Higher end models sported even more expensive lenses from Schnieder Optics and ISCO; for example, the Sony VW60 was demoed with a UH380 while the VW200 used a Schneider Optics lens. The Sim2 C3X1080, a $30,000 projector, was demoed using an ISCO III 2.35:1 lens.


The ISCO III


That's one deep lens

The other thing we noticed about these lenses is that they were often way overpriced when ordered from the projector makers. The Panamorph UH380 retails for $2995, with its motorized sled going for an additional $2995, however we were quoted prices around $7K - $8K for the system. The same is true for the ISCO III, a lens that retails for $6K, we were quoted as much as $12K for the lens and sled. If you're thinking about a 2.35:1 setup, we'd strongly suggest ordering your lens/sled directly from the lens maker and not from your projector maker. None of these companies are using their own lenses, so you're not any better off ordering through them.

LCD vs. DLP/LCoS

The other common trend at CEDIA was the dramatic difference between picture quality of LCD projectors and DLP/LCoS based units. While there were some impressive demonstrations at CEDIA, the best LCD projectors we saw couldn't hold a candle to the DLP/LCoS models at the show. Although it's true that none of the demos were under the same conditions, it was very easy to pick out whether or not a projector used LCD technology or one of the newer microdisplay techs.

LCD technology has been evolving for quite a while and it's not going to disappear overnight, but it's clear that some of these companies relying on LCD technology will have their work cut out for them in the coming years.



Panasonic PT-AE2000U

Panasonic has been quietly dropping the price of its PT-AE1000U, a 3-chip LCD 1080p front projector, over the past couple of months. Through the end of this month Panasonic will continue to offer a $1000 mail in rebate on the AE1000U; we expected to see an updated unit from Panny at the show and were not disappointed as we walked over to its booth and discovered the new PT-AE2000U.


It looks identical to the PT-AE1000U

Most of the updated projectors at the show achieved better brightness/contrast through the use of better panels and better processing, the PT-AE2000U was no different. The projector has a 1500 lumens rating thanks to improved LCD panels, and an improved 16,000:1 contrast ratio. The 2000U features a new lens and new dynamic iris motor as well as 3 HDMI inputs.

The PT-AE2000U will be available in October and we'd expect it to be priced at under $5K.



Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB

Panasonic wasn't the only manufacturer with a new 3-chip LCD at CEDIA, Epson was hot on its heels with the PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB. With a price at under $5000, the Epson actually threw a pretty impressive picture - in our informal comparison easily comparable to the Panasonic in most areas.

The biggest drawback to the Epson was poor detail in dark areas of the screen, which is partially the fault of the LCD technology Epson is using. The black levels themselves were good but picking out any detail in the blacks was difficult, seemingly moreso than on the Panasonic PT-AE2000U but keep in mind that the two projectors were viewed under very different circumstances.

Epson demonstrated the projector in a 2.35:1 setup, but the projector doesn't support the necessary vertical stretch mode so an external Silicon Optix scaler was used:

Depending on the eventual street price, the Epson could prove to be good competition for the Panasonic.



Sanyo PLV-Z2000

Sanyo also demonstrated its 3-chip LCD 1080p projector at CEDIA, the PLV-Z2000, however it was under less than ideal conditions. Sanyo didn't have a theater room setup, it simply projected onto a screen with a lot of ambient light resulting in a washed out image and something we really couldn't comment on.

The projector will be available in October for $2995.

Mitsubishi HC6000

Mitsubishi also gave us a less-than-ideal demo of its 3-chip LCD projector, the HC6000.

Despite the ambient lighting, the HC6000 did reasonably well but it's tough to compare it to anything else we saw at the show.

The HC6000 will retail for under $4K and should be available starting in October.



SIM2 C3X1080

SIM2 is a smaller manufacturer of very high end projectors and it introduced its most affordable 3-chip DLP 1080p projector: the C3X1080. How affordable can a SIM2 get? $30,000 in this case.

The C3X1080 uses TI's new DarkChip 4 DLP panels and is available with three lenses for various throw distances. Anamorphic lens attachments are optional extras. The $30,000 MSRP includes one of the standard lenses but not the anamorphic lens.


DarkChip 4

All aspects of the C3X1080 are configurable, including fully adjustable primary and secondary colors.

The image thrown by the C3X1080 was nothing short of breathtaking on the 10' wide 2.35:1 screen. The content was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on Blu-ray and put all of the other projectors we had seen up to this point to shame. The JVC RS2 and Sony's VW200 were no longer impressive, the C3X1080 was all there was.

Granted you could easily buy two VW200s or possibly up to four RS2s for the price of one C3X1080, so it's mostly a pipe dream but a beautiful one at that.



Runco Goes "Mainstream"

Much like SIM2, Runco is another extremely high end projector maker, recently acquired by Planar Systems. The acquisition should allow Runco to target more affordable price points, instead of its usual $8K - $250K range of MSRPs.

Runco introduced two new projectors: the RS-440 and the RS-900. The RS-440 is a 720p projector, shipping in December with a $4995 MSRP, or $5995 with a long throw lens.


Runco's RS-440

The RS-900 is a single-chip DLP 1080p projector, shipping now, with an $8995 MSRP. The problem with a single-chip DLP is that some viewers may experience distracting rainbows, making this $9K option a no-go for some users right out of the box. 3-chip solutions don't require a color wheel and thus the rainbows aren't a problem, but the cheapest 3-chip Runcos are well over $9K.


Runco RS-900

Runco demonstrated both projectors, but on relatively small screen sizes (and odd angles to the audience) making it difficult to compare the other projectors we'd seen.

Runco's pricing is obviously significantly higher than the competition we'd seen, and unlike the SIM2 C3X1080 demonstration, there was not a visible advantage compared to cheaper alternatives at the show. That's not to say that there's no advantage, just not something our untrained eyes could see.

Before we left Runco, the reps did fire up the big one:


Now this projector left us floored, much like the SIM2 in that respect. It threw an image from at least 30 or 40' without a problem. The SC-1 is a serious projector, but also carries a $250,000 price tag and is meant for screens measured in tens of feet. The projector weighs 342 lbs, is 1' tall, 2' wide and 5' deep.

If you're planning on building an actual theater in your home...



Our CEDIA Projector Quickies

If you keep in mind that we could hardly make apples-to-apples comparisons of the projectors at CEDIA, here are our subjective impressions on everything we encountered at the show.

JVC DLA-RS1: An older projector, but an absolutely beautiful picture. Great black levels and tremendous detail in dark areas. No built in vertical scaler though, so 2.35:1 aficionados need to look for an external scaler or the...

JVC DLA-RS2/HD100: We didn't see a huge improvement over the RS2, but these projectors looked great. Built in vertical stretch mode fixes one major problem with the RS1, but at a sub-$8K price these two aren't cheap. They manage to fit in perfectly between Sony's VW60 and VW200, it's almost as if JVC is augmenting Sony rather than competing directly with the giant.

Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 1080 UB: Very reasonable picture, although definitely lacking in detailed blacks. This could either be a great buy or a yawn depending on the street price. If it takes $5K to get this thing, then definitely not, but if we're talking $3K then Epson may be on to something. Darker blacks than the Panasonic but not necessarily more detailed.

Panasonic PT-AE2000U: Looked decent, slightly grey appearance to the picture especially compared to the DLP/LCoS based solutions we saw. Not bad but definitely not the best we saw, especially at ~$5K.

Runco RS-400: How much for a 720p projector? We're sorry, but we just don't get the Runco appeal yet, especially not at the entry level.

Runco RS-900: At least this one is 1080p, but only single-chip DLP which may cause rainbows for some viewers. And at $9K, honestly, we'd take the JVC DLA-RS2. The Runco didn't look bad, but it didn't exactly look better during our highly informal comparison so take that for what you will.

SIM2 C3X1080: Absolutely amazing, even put our favorite LCoS projectors to shame. VW200 who?

Sony VW60: Good blacks, good picture, good price - the only drawback? The JVC RS2/HD100 may be better, but this thing is also around $3K cheaper.

Sony VW200: Impressive 120Hz technology, the improvement over the VW60 doesn't seem large enough to justify the price difference though.

Our favorites from the show? JVC's RS2 and the SIM2 C3X1080, although Sony was a close runner up with the VW60.



Stewart Screens

Stewart, a big (and expensive) name in home theater screen technology, was showing off some interesting uses of its StarGlass technology. StarGlass is a rear projection technology that allows you to project an image onto screen fabric sandwiched between glass panes and maintain a good amount of brightness and contrast even in situations with a lot of ambient light. Essentially, StarGlass projections look very similar to viewing a plasma or LCD direct view display with a glossy screen.

Here Stewart is showing off the StarGlass system integrated into a bar. The projectors are located on the underside of the bar. The screens are sealed and waterproof.

In this situation, StarGlass is integrated into the floor of the second level of Stewart's booth. The screen can support the weight of a certain Editor in Chief of an online publication.

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